


Rhapsody in Blue

by LeaWillowsnap



Category: Homestuck
Genre: F/F, F/M, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Rose And Dave Are Twins, a majority of the characters are oblivious, dave is very clingy, i dont care that highfives didn't exist in the 1920s, lots of old songs, mostly john tho, swingstuck, the mayor is mute, there's way too many plotlines than there should be
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-18 10:13:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29366838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeaWillowsnap/pseuds/LeaWillowsnap
Summary: The Sburb Speakeasy and Dance Club has been home for weirdos and wannabes alike, but when a local gang cracks down on them asking them for more money than they have, they have a week to find it. Meanwhile, a secret agency has been hunting down the gang leader for quite some time and their findings lead them directly to Club Sburb. Paths converge, drinks are drunk, dances are danced, lives are lived. (Mainly Davekat ngl)
Relationships: Calliope/Roxy Lalonde, Cronus Ampora/Kankri Vantas, Dave Strider/Karkat Vantas, Gamzee Makara & Tavros Nitram, Jake English/Dirk Strider, John Egbert/Roxy Lalonde, John Egbert/Terezi Pyrope, Nepeta Leijon & Equius Zahhak, Rose Lalonde/Kanaya Maryam
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	1. The Beginning of Something

**Author's Note:**

> This is a Swingstuck AU if ya haven't figured it out already. Wrote it mostly for myself just to see if I could, so hopefully it doesn't suck. It's probably gonna be around 10 chapters, but I can promise nothing. I'm trying to fit nearly every homestuck character into this somehow which means it's going to be a disaster which 40 different plots but isn't that the spirit of homestuck after all?  
> Also I honestly don't know where this takes place so don't ask me, just somewhere in america. I tried to be somewhat historically accurate to the 1920s except for the way the characters talk which other than stopping Dave from saying bro, is just modern speech. There is also brief smut planned but when it will happen, I do not know.

It was a completely usual night, and as Dave stared out the little window from the kitchen, eyelevel to the sidewalk and the shoes of the people passing by, he thought about that; how normal this night was. From the regular clientele that had come in, to the usual way people had danced, to the completely expected drinks they’d ordered. And now even as they closed up, the music sounded so completely normal. He could hear Cronus whining to Sollux about his disappointing love life, and Dirk pacing around, Jane at his heels ranting about one thing or the other. It could not be a more typical day.

So why did everything feel strange? It was like there was an electric charge buzzing in Dave’s heart, trying to tell him something. Trying to let him know that tonight was the start of something. But that was ridiculous. It was just another day.

“Dave?”

He looked up, hearing his name, and found Sollux standing there. How long had he been there? Last Dave remembered, he’d been on the other side of the room. Had he teleported? Had Dave really spaced out for that long?

“You okay?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Dave said, letting out an awkward laugh. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“You’ve been wiping down that glass for the past 5 minutes.”

Dave looked down at the shot glass in his hands, which had been wiped pristine from the involuntary scrubbing. He grinned at Sollux, doing his best to prove how perfectly alright he was. It was a fucking normal night, and he was just as normal.

“It was dirty? Can’t a guy clean a glass without getting interrogated for it?”

Sollux sighed, clearly not caring enough to push it.

“Whatever,” he shrugged. “Just checking in. Your brother’s freaking out over there, thought you might be able to help.”

“He’s always freaking out,” Dave said, peering over his shoulder to where Dirk and Jane were conversing in clearly agitated whispers. “And what makes you think I’d be able to help?”

“I mean he’s your brother, isn’t he?”

“Well yeah, we’re not really close though. I’m not gonna guess what’s going on in that dude’s head.”

Sollux joined Dave in watching Dirk and Jane’s discussion.

“That sounds rough,” he said at last.

Dave shrugged, “I guess.”

Sollux looked like he was about to say something else, but Cronus appeared suddenly, having scooted over while they were distracted with Dirk.

“What’re we talking about?” he asked, squeezing in between them.

“Nothing concerning you,” Dave said, finally setting the shot glass on the rack, and grabbing a new one. Sollux followed suit, desperately trying to look busy. 

“Wow, rude,” Cronus said. “Just trying to be friendly. Heard that Jade wanted to talk to you, Strider.”

“I heard,” Dave said, a weird feeling bubbling in his stomach.

“Hot babe you got there,” Cronus said, leaning back on the counter. “Wish I had something like that.”

“I don’t have anyone,” Dave murmured through his teeth. 

“Riight, women aren’t objects blah blah blah-”

“No,” Dave snapped. “We aren’t together.”

“But she really likes you,” Sollux piped in, slightly confused.

“And she’s H-O-T,” Cronus added, spelling out the word. “Why aren’t you going for it?”

Dave shrugged, feeling slightly picked on, “It just doesn’t feel right.”

“What the fuck does that mean?” Sollux asked.

“I don’t know!” Dave cried out exasperatedly. “This isn’t you guys’ business anyway, butt out!”

Sollux stared at Dave as if trying to read something in his face and Cronus held his hands up in a surrender, “Touchy~.”

“Shut up,” Dave snarled. “I’m not dealing with this today.”

He wasn’t sure what had gotten him so worked up, but he felt like a wind up toy and the second someone let go of the crank, off he would go. The Jade ordeal had been bothering him for awhile, and he’d successfully shoved it to the back of his head until now, which was something he was quite good at. 

It wasn’t that he didn’t like her. He did, which was what made saying no to her so hard, because he really could picture a future with her, and maybe that would be the best future for him. But what if it wasn’t? What if there was someone else? Some other path that would be ruined if he agreed to date her, if he closed himself off from other possibilities. 

So he’d been avoiding her. Which considering the fact that they worked together, wasn’t going to work for very long.  
Was it even fair to her, to let her be second choice; a last case scenario? He’d tried telling himself that that wasn’t what she was, but deep down he knew it was true. She was the option for if nothing else worked, and that was an asshole move, he knew it. Maybe it would be best to tell her no, if that’s how he saw her. But then on the other hand maybe saying yes to her would make her his first choice.  
Why did things have to be so hard?!

...

Dirk was wondering the same thing at that moment, as he paced back and forth across what had been a dance floor earlier that same night. 

“Well we have to at least try,” he breathed. “It’s better than just sitting around waiting to die.”

“They might not kill us,” Jane said. “Vriska said something about wanting the building for a hideout, maybe that’s all they want?”

Dirk paused in his pacing to pivot on his heel toward his dear friend.

“Jane, you’re a very smart person, so it confuses me that I have to remind you of this. They are the fucking mafia. You don’t get let go with your head attached. The whole staff is gonna end up dead if we don’t get them this money.”

“How would we even do that though? I don’t think we’ve ever had that much, there’s no way we can get that in a week! It would be a miracle to even get half that-”

“Can you take the next few days off?” Dirk interrupted.

Jane looked quizzical for a moment before a look of understanding crossed her expression. 

“You have a plan?” she asked.

“Can you take the next few days off?” Dirk repeated, his expression unchanged.

“Of course.”

“Get your coat.” He turned to the door. “Dave! Can you finish closing up?”

“Where are you going?” Dave called back, eyeing the clock. “It’s nearly 4 in the morning.”

“Business,” and with that he headed for the door, Jane at his heels.

... 

Across town two girls were arriving at their hotel. The ride there had been especially long, and they were relieved to be off of the train.

“This is going to be the start of something,” Roxy smiled, lugging her rather oversized bag onto the curb, her voice a singsong. “Movin’ to the city! It’s like we’re in a film! Romance, drama, adventures!”

“I don’t think-”

“We should go say hi to Dave and Dirk after we drop our stuff off,” Roxy went on, ignoring her sister.

“They’re probably closed by now, and we have no way to get over there,” Rose reminded her.

“Well then,” Roxy said, unperturbed by the statement. “We’ll head over there tomorrow, get a good night's rest.”

“I slept on the train,” Rose said, following Roxy inside the rather crungy hotel.

“Let me rephrase, I am going to get a good night’s rest. As long as you don’t keep me up, you can do what you will. Just be ready for adventure tomorrow morning.”

“Sburb isn’t open till the afternoon.”

“Adventure, Rose!” Roxy exclaimed as they reached the counter. “Adventure.”

“Adventure,” Rose reluctantly agreed. “Yay.”

“We’d like a room please,” Roxy purred at the receptionist.

“How long?” the crumpled old woman behind the desk asked.

Roxy turned to look at Rose as if asking a silent question, and Rose sighed.

“The foreseeable future,” she responded, and Roxy grinned. “We’re visiting family.”

The woman clearly didn’t care and responded in a monotone, “That’s 2.40 for a night, and I will need a down payment for the whole week. If you’re staying longer you can speak to me again when the week is up."

“So uh that’s how much?” Roxy asked, reaching for her wallet.

“16.80.”

“Cool cool cool,” Roxy winced, digging out a 20 and handing it over. “We’re going to be a little tight on cash this week,” she whispered to Rose as the woman dug around for change.

“We can make sure to ask Dirk if there’s anything we can help with at Sburb,” Rose assured her.

“Good idea,” Roxy said, accepting the change and the room key. “Ooh 413, good number. I think this is going to be a good thing.”

“What is?” Rose asked, as they started toward the stairs to their room.

“The move.”

“I never agreed to moving here.”

“Ah but you’re warming up to the idea.”

“All I want is a calm quiet place to work on my book, which are two adjectives that no one has ever seriously described this city as.”

“You’re grumpy when you’re tired.”

“I’m not tired.”

...

Karkat was tired, and as he sat at the conference table, he desperately hoped he wouldn’t fall asleep in the middle of one of Kankri’s spiels. Thankfully, Kankri wasn’t speaking at the moment, so his eyes managed to stay open.

“As most of you know,” Porrim was saying, “we’ve been tracking this particular gang for the past couple of years, though have yet to securely confront them. Whenever we move in on a lead they’ve cleared out.”

“Sounds like someone’s tipping them off,” Aranea pointed out.

“It certainly seems like it,” Porrim agreed. “I’ve been having Aradia look into it but she has yet to come up with anything of use. All we can do now is do our best to work with the leads we got. Which brings me to the mission in question.

“On 6th avenue there is a place called the Sburb Dance Club. It is rather popular, because of the entertaining performers who regular there, the moderately priced but splendid food, and most of all, the speakeasy in the basement which is widely known about but somehow unbothered by the police.”

“What does this have to do with the mission?” Kankri asked, seemingly offended by the place. 

“Well Mr. Vantas, Aradia recently picked up on a trail that leads right to this location. It seems that someone has been picking up dues from here for some time and are recently cracking down hard. If we don’t move in soon, this place will be quite out of business and its workers will be a bit more than unemployed.

“The job is a simple reconnaissance. Kanaya and Karkat will go in as standard customers. As always, staying incognito is most important, information is second. Do not gamble your concealment for the mission. As mentioned, every time we’re found out snooping they get away.”

“Wait why is Karkat going?” Kankri asked, clearly wanting to interject with the question since the name came up. Karkat had also been wondering the same thing. He was loud and unstable in the eyes of the agency, undercover jobs were always touch and go with him.

“I had thought it would be a good chance to get him more experience in the field. It should not be a very complex mission, I’m sure he can handle himself, am I right?”

“Of course, Ms. Maryam,” Karkat nodded sharply, his brain going a million miles an hour.

“And Kanaya will be there as well,” Porrim continued. “You two have been known to work well together. I don’t foresee any issues with this arrangement.”

“But wait-” Kankri started, but Porrim immediately shut him down.

“You two will head over there a little after 8 tomorrow night,” she said.

The rest of the meeting was about specifics for the mission and some other boilerplate nonsense that Karkat zoned out of almost immediately. If anything was terribly pressing he could ask Kanaya about it later. His brain was much more occupied by the night ahead.

This wasn’t his first job, but it felt like it. The other missions he’d been on were usually when someone else’s mission didn’t go right and his job was to swoop in and save their asses. He’d never been assigned as first choice, and as much as Porrim assured him that this was a very straightforward job, he could think of a billion ways that it could go wrong. 

Kanaya seemed to detect his train of thought cause she’d reached over and gave his shoulder a quick squeeze. It was clearly meant to reassure Karkat, but it only reinforced the fact that her level headedness when facing an important assignment would never be something he could reach. 

“Are you really up for this?” she asked him as they left the dark conference room.

“As much as I’ll ever be,” Karkat responded and it didn’t feel like a lie.


	2. The Night Before 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting this chapter in two parts because I just need to get it out. Also my editing is literally just skimming for typos and honestly I couldn't care less.

It was 5 in the afternoon and Jane and Dirk were officially exhausted. They sat in Dirk’s roadster, pulled over to the side of the road, and debated whether or not it would be easier to just accept death. 

“We could ask the employees to pitch in.”

“That wouldn’t help, barely anyone there has more than a penny to their name.”

The two of them have spent hours that morning from 4 to 6, sitting in a 24/7 diner, brainstorming ways to get money, and then spent the hours since going through the list. 

“Sorry, don’t know what to tell you,” Horuss had told them when they’d stopped by that morning. He was an old friend of Dirk, (they had bonded over a mutual love of horses) and he gave the Sburb workers discounts when they needed their cars repaired. Dirk had hoped that maybe he had something put aside, and assured him they’d pay him back as soon as possible. “If I had it, I would. But it’s been pretty slow around the shop these days, hardly getting by as it is.”

“That’s okay Horuss,” Jane assured him, though her pressed lips claimed otherwise.

“Wait do you guys need money?”

The three of them turned to see a rather flashy man in red emerge from the office. 

“Do you have money?” Dirk asked.

“Oh no man, that’s not what I meant. But there’s this chick, we used to go out. She can probably help you. I have her card somewhere.” He started patting down his jacket. “She trades money for information.”

“That doesn’t sound particularly legal,” Jane frowned.

“From what I overheard it sounds like you’re going to get murdered if you don’t find the cash. Sticking to legal means is going to end up with your head on a stick.”

Horuss sighed, “Dirk, Jane, meet Rufioh. He’s a friend who’s been helping me out around the shop.”

“Well thank you Rufioh, for the suggestion,” Jane said, taking the finally found card. It read Damara Megido, and not much else. “We’ll definitely look into this.”

“Yeah, and don’t tell her I sent you,” Rufioh said. “She doesn’t really like me too much, might not help your case.”

“We’ll keep that in mind,” Jane agreed.

“We’re definitely not going to this lady,” she told Dirk, as they trudged their way to the car.

“Oh for sure,” he agreed. “I’m thinking of it as a last case scenario.”

“It shouldn’t be an option at all,” Jane said. “It sounds like it would get us into an even worse situation than we started with.”

“We may not have much choice,” Dirk grimaced.

. . . 

“Where is Dirk anyway?” Roxy asked, her legs crossed, and a Bees Knees in her hand. “I wanted to talk to him, it’s been so long.”

The club hadn’t opened yet and they sat at one of the tables, Dave and Rose on one side, Roxy on the other. Dave had made some drinks for the girls, clearly trying to show off his new skills as a bartender, which his sisters refused to admit, no matter how good the drinks were. 

“She wants to ask if she can sing a set sometime,” Rose stage whispered to Dave, smiling around her own drink.

“Hey! I told you that in confidence,” Roxy said but there wasn’t any fire behind her words.

“He had something to take care of,” Dave said, leaning on his sister. He’d missed her. He’d missed both of them. “He’s been pretty busy with something, I don’t think he’s sleeping. But I’m sure he’d be up for having you sing. Since I’m kind of in charge while him and Jane are gone, I can put you on the list if you want?”

“For tonight?”

“Yeah, unless you’re not ready?”

“Oh uh, yeah.”

“Yeah you’re not ready or yeah you are?”

“Yeah, tonight would be great,” Roxy nodded, trying to loosen the knot in her stomach. “Can I have another drink?”

Dave smiled and got up, “Come right up, milady.” 

Rose watched him as he left before turning to her sister with a frown, “Do you think he’s okay?”

“What?” Roxy asked, the question taking her off guard. “He seemed fine.”

“I guess,” Rose said, peering over to the bar where Dave had started making Roxy’s new drink. A man with aggressively slicked back hair stood nearby and was saying something to him. She honestly couldn’t tell what she thought was wrong, but there was definitely something.

“I mean he’s a little clingy,” Roxy admitted. “But he always gets like that when he sees us after awhile.”

“He just seems stressed,” Rose said.

“Aren’t we all?”

“Okay but more than usual.”

“Is this some kind of twin instinct?”

“Maybe?”

“What are you two talking about?”

They hadn’t noticed Dave coming back, but there he stood, an eyebrow raised in a question.

“Nothing,” Rose started but Roxy spoke over her,

“Rose thinks you’re stressed,” she said, to which Dave laughed, like an actual laugh.

“Shit, aren’t we all?” he said.

“That’s what I said!” Roxy said, lifting her hand for a high five.

Dave accepted the high five, but still noticed Rose looking at him, and he shot her a we’ll talk later glance to which she accepted but rolled her eyes at. 

She didn’t have time to push anyway, because the doors swung open and in walked, what she could only describe as the human embodiment of a disaster. He wore suspenders and the most rickety glasses she’d ever seen, and grinned as he trotted over to the group.

“Hey Dave!” he called. “Got a really promising set list today.”

“That’s fucking awesome man,” Dave said, leaning against the side of the table as he came over. “You working on a new song?”

“Yeah! It about-” he started but then paused, realizing they weren’t alone. “Wait is the place open already, and no one told me?”

“No, these are my sisters. They’re visiting, and wanted to pop in early to get some extra Dave attention.” Rose elbowed him. “Rose, Roxy, this is my friend John. He’s also my roommate.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you ma’ams,” he said to both of them, but his eyes were fixed on Roxy. “I’m the piano player here. It’s not much but ya know, foot in the door and all.”

“That’s awesome!” Roxy said, and it actually sounded like she meant it. “I’m going to be singing tonight, actually. Hope that doesn’t interfere with your spotlight.”

“O-Oh yeah, I mean no! No that sounds wonderful, I’m sure you’re amazing. I’m not really a performer, I’m just the back up. What song are you going to sing, I could help- Not to impose or anything! Just thought that maybe-”

“Yeah I’d love the help. The song is kind of secret though.”

“I mean, I don’t know if Dave has already given you the grand tour yet, but I could show you around, and maybe we could...talk about the music?”

“Oh that sounds lovely!” Roxy said, getting out of her chair. “Now?”

“I-I guess?”

“Perfect!” she turned to Dave for a moment. “Can I bring my drink?”

“Yeah,” her brother sighed, but they were already off before he’d finished the word.

“Poor guy,” Rose said, after a pause. “I don’t even think she knows what she’s doing.”

“Could you maybe ask her not to sleep with him?” Dave asked. “I have to live with the guy and I’d rather his heart get the least broken possible. It's kinda awkward to be trying to make breakfast and he’s just sobbing on the floor constantly.”

“Has that happened before?”

“Uh yeah, a couple times,” Dave admitted, sliding back into the chair beside her.

“Huh.”

“Yeah, there was this girl. Vriska I think? She was clearly just looking for a quick hookup but he falls in love easily. Was crying for weeks.”

“Oof.”

“Uh huh.”

There was a pause. It wasn’t particularly uncomfortable though. Even though it’d been months since the two had been in each other’s presence they’d always been good at the silences. It made Dave envious that he hadn’t grown up with Rose in the house. Maybe things would’ve been better. He wasn’t sure why he was being so clingy. He blamed the shots he’d done before the girls got there. 

“So,” she said.

“So,” he echoed.

“What’s gotten you so stressed out.”

“Oh my god, nothing,” Dave breathed, annoyed that she’d seen right through him.

“Is it a girl?”

“No!”

“Is it...a boy?”

“Rose! Stop!” he hissed, glancing around furtively to make sure no one had heard. “I told you about that trusting you to be quiet about it.”

“Okay okay fine,” she laughed, holding her hands up in surrender. “So it is a boy.”

“No!”

“Then tell me,” she pushed. “Cause I’m going to just keep guessing.”

“Fine, okay, so there’s this girl named Jade who’s a waitress here.”

“It IS about a girl!”

“Yes whatever, shut up. So she asked me out, and I didn’t really give her a straight answer and I’ve been hiding from her since.”

“...”

“What?!”

“That’s stupid.”

“This is why I don’t tell you shit like this, Rose!”

“Sorry, okay so what’s the issue? If you don’t like her then just tell her.”

“I do like her!”

“Then why haven’t you agreed to go out with her?”

“Because it doesn’t feel right.”

“What the fuck does that mean?”

“Can people stop asking me that?” Dave snapped, his face falling to his hands. “I don’t fucking know!” For a moment he thought Rose was going to leave the table. She didn’t like when he lost his temper, it reminded her of their father. Dave didn’t blame her for it. But she didn’t leave.

“So let me get this straight,” she said, her words slow, as if analyzing them as they passed her tongue. “You don’t want to say yes to this girl because some deep instinct tells you that it doesn’t feel right.”

“Yeah.”

“And you don’t want to say no, because what, you’re lonely? Just in case you have no other options? Stick her in the freezer for later?”

“I’m such an assholeee,” Dave groaned from behind his hands. “I know I am.”

“How long ago did she ask you?”

“A couple weeks ago I think?”

“Jesus shit Dave, just tell her no. Tell her that you’re sorry that you kept her waiting just for rejection, but you aren’t in the right mindspace for a relationship.”

“But I really want to get laid, Rose.”

“You don’t have to be in a relationship to get laid, my dear brother. She took a sip of her drink, as if choosing her next words wisely. “And honestly as much as I don’t want to have this conversation with you of all people, if you aren’t in a relationship you can get laid much more often. If Oscar Wilde could do it, so can you.”

“Oscar Wilde it up,” Dave agreed, snatching his sister’s glass for a moment.

“Hey-”

“I made it, I can taste it,” he argued, before downing the rest of the glass. “Christ, what even is this?”

“Uhh, a Mary Pickford, I think. Wouldn’t you know?”

“I don’t remember shit, Rose. You should know this.”

“Ah right, of course.”

“And who the fuck is Oscar Wilde?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> stay tuned folks


End file.
